Capturing creativity using digital video

This paper evaluates the use of a creative learning activity in which postgraduate student teachers were required to collaboratively make short digital videos. The purpose was for student teachers to experience and evaluate a meaningful learning activity and to consider how they might reconstruct such an activity within their own teaching practice in their placement schools. Within UK primary schools (children aged 4 to 11 years) there is currently an increasing focus on creativity within teaching and learning and a desire to use ICT to enhance learning. This led the teacher educator in this case study to introduce a learning activity in which students created a short advert using digital video. The nature of creativity is considered, as is the collaborative element that frequently forms an element of creative learning activities. This collaboration was an integral element of the digital video activity. An existing framework of ‘meaningful learning’ is used to inform the analysis of the students’ responses to the learning activity. Student responses show that they valued the experience and developed a desire to use digital video in their own classroom practice on school placements. The combination of positive student responses, the collaborative nature of the activity and the scope for it to support meaningful learning make digital video a powerful tool for supporting creative teaching and learning

How do technologies support School Direct students' learning on a PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status within a Networked Learning Model

This work is a study of the way that students select and use technologies to build and maintain a learning network while training to become primary school teachers. It builds on the body of research which has explored Networked Learning by applying it to the context of teacher education and by applying it to a course where the ICTs used are selected by students not provided by tutors. It is a case study based on intrinsic interest with an exploratory focus to understand how and why students make use of the technologies they select. It uses multiple data sources including group interviews with students, interviews with tutors, questionnaires, virtual learning environment data and transcripts of students’ social media interactions. The analysis of these has been performed along three lines of enquiry to establish who is talking to whom, what they are talking about and why they are talking about it. The findings bring together a novel approach to the application of Networked Learning and research into a new route into teaching and show that students are sophisticated and agile users of a range of technologies. They use a variety of technologies to build and support interactions with artefacts, tutors and other learners. Where there are constraints in place, such as tutors’ preference for face-to-face interactions there is evidence that students will make use of technologies to substitute other interactions in their place. It finds that students’ most extensive interactions take place with other students and that these are multifaceted combining interactions directly related to learning, around-task interactions and social elements. It builds on research done in blended learning, networked learning, teacher education and social aspects of learning. It will be of interest to those interested in the role of technologies in education or those involved in teacher education

What goes on in there?” How do post-graduate trainee teachers make use of an online learning community using social networking sites?

Abstract This study explores the role that social networking sites play in the learning of post-graduate trainee teachers. It is part of a larger study that explored the role that technologies played in student learning via a Networked Learning framework. It draws upon the content posted to closed groups on social network sites, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to explore two aspects of the impact these groups have. Firstly, the impact on social cohesion; in other words, how the social network site groups support interaction online and subsequently, face-to-face interactions. Secondly, the impact on learning that interactions in these groups has. It uses a threefold analysis strategy: the temporal distribution of usage, the context for interactions and the topic of interactions. It finds that there is a strong social element to student interactions which includes interactions relating to social activities but also interactions which provide moral support and encouragement as well as elements of humour. In addition to this are learning related interactions. These are widespread and cover both academic and professional learning. However, this is largely limited to interactions related to details, support, help and guidance rather than profound theoretical discussions. The survey combines the analysis of the content and context of interactions with a temporal analysis of interactions to explore how the use of these interactions changes in relation to key events in the course such as assignment submissions or school placements. It finds that the participants are discerning users who adopt a functional approach to social network interactions. They make extensive use of such sites prior to assignment submissions or the release of assignment feedback. But, on the other hand, at times of high workload, such as school placements, they will prioritise activity with the greatest potential impact on their success. In other words, they do not allow themselves to be overly distracted by social networking. It concludes that the social network site groups play an important role in supporting students to succeed on a busy and stressful course. Also, that students draw on social media in equal measure for social cohesion and learning related interactions. However, it must be noted that the learning interactions are typically around-task interactions rather than interactions at the heart of their learning

The pedagogical impacts of a move to online learning (work in progress)

The outbreak of Covid-19 has caused major disruptions to all aspects of life and in Higher Edu-cation it has had a significant impact on teaching and learning. Probably the greatest impact has been on the need to move much teaching and learning online. This is of particular interest as the migration to online teaching and learning has been driven by external factors rather than for pedagogic reasons. Four colleagues from the Institute of Education who all work on the Primary School Direct Post-Graduate Certificate in Education are engaged in research to explore this. Their research seeks to answer the following what are the pedagogical impacts of a move to online learning for a PGCE programme

Z2SAL: a translation-based model checker for Z

Despite being widely known and accepted in industry, the Z formal specification language has not so far been well supported by automated verification tools, mostly because of the challenges in handling the abstraction of the language. In this paper we discuss a novel approach to building a model-checker for Z, which involves implementing a translation from Z into SAL, the input language for the Symbolic Analysis Laboratory, a toolset which includes a number of model-checkers and a simulator. The Z2SAL translation deals with a number of important issues, including: mapping unbounded, abstract specifications into bounded, finite models amenable to a BDD-based symbolic checker; converting a non-constructive and piecemeal style of functional specification into a deterministic, automaton-based style of specification; and supporting the rich set-based vocabulary of the Z mathematical toolkit. This paper discusses progress made towards implementing as complete and faithful a translation as possible, while highlighting certain assumptions, respecting certain limitations and making use of available optimisations. The translation is illustrated throughout with examples; and a complete working example is presented, together with performance data

Mutagenic inverted repeat assisted genome engineering (MIRAGE)

Here we describe a one-step method to create precise modifications in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a tool for synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, systems biology and genetic studies. Through homologous recombination, a mutagenesis cassette containing an inverted repeat of selection marker(s) is integrated into the genome. Due to its inherent instability in genomic DNA, the inverted repeat catalyzes spontaneous self-excision, resulting in precise genome modification. Since this excision occurs at very high frequencies, selection for the integration event can be followed immediately by counterselection, without the need for growth in permissive conditions. This is the first time a truly one-step method has been described for genome modification in any organism

Expression of the 180-Kd Ribosome Receptor Induces Membrane Proliferation and Increased Secretory Activity in Yeast

Expression of the canine 180-kD ribosome receptor (p180) in yeast cells resulted in a marked proliferation of intracellular membranes. The type of membranes observed varied with the expression of specific portions of p180. Rough membranes predominated when the ribosome binding domain of p180 was present, whereas expression constructs lacking this region resulted in smooth membranes. Northern analysis indicated that expression of the NH2-terminal 767 amino acids (ΔCT), which include the ribosome binding domain, upregulated the transcription and translation of genes involved in exocytosis. The membranes that were proliferated were functional as these cells overcame a temperature-sensitive translocation defect. Most significantly, cells that overexpressed ΔCT and proliferated rough endoplasmic reticulum exhibited severalfold higher levels of secretion of an ectopically expressed secretory protein. We conclude that p180 expression triggers a cascade of events leading to an increase in secretory potential akin to the terminal differentiation of mammalian secretory cells and tissues

Vesicle trafficking maintains nuclear shape in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during membrane proliferation

Disruption of vesicle trafficking results in distortion of nuclear shape and increased nuclear envelope surface area but doesn’t alter the nuclear/cell volume ratio